XOCEAN USVs supporting the development of new Offshore Wind Farms off New York. Photo courtesy of XOCEAN

Climate Tech Company XOCEAN Raises €115M To Expand Operations

• Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
• Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

The Irish climate tech company recently raised €115 million in a growth equity round to support its expansion efforts.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• XOCEAN raised 115 million euros in a growth equity round that included investors such as S2G Ventures, 1GT fund, and Climate Investment.
• The startup expects to expand operations and develop its unscrewed vessels and technology.
• The Irish company currently has over 240 staff across Ireland, the UK, Norway, Canada, the United States, and Australia.

According to the press release , Morgan Stanley’s 1GT fund, S2G Ventures, CC Industries, and Climate Investment were among the main investors.

XOCEAN develops unscrewed vessels to support energy infrastructures and collect data, with the new investment the startup expects to accelerate its growth, innovate, and reach more offshore segments.

“Our mission is to deliver data that drives the sustainable development of our oceans in a safe, cost-effective, and ultra-low-impact way,” said James Ives, XOCEAN’s Founder and CEO.

According to its website , XOCEAN was founded in 2017 and has over 240 staff in different locations, including Ireland and the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, the United States, and Australia.

Last year, the company raised €250,000 in a funding round that included U2 guitarist David H Evans known as The Edge.

“We believe this investment represents a distinct opportunity at the intersection of the energy and oceans sectors,” said Dr. Francis O’Sullivan, Managing Director for S2G. “Working with many of the world’s leading energy companies, XOCEAN has reimagined how the geophysical data central to unlocking the blue economy’s potential can be delivered.”

XOCEAN’s surface vessels gather geophysical data with its advanced sensors and can communicate in real-time. Its remote and low-carbon fleets produce %0.01 of the CO2 compared to traditional survey vessels.

Other tech companies trying to reduce carbon emissions have also raised funds for expansion in Europe. A few weeks ago, Glint Solar, a Norwegian startup providing advanced solar installation software, raised $8 million in a Series A round.

Image by Ketut Subiyanto, from Pexels

Scam Links Persist On Indian Government Websites Months After Initial Discovery

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

Several Indian government websites continue to host malicious links months after the issue was initially reported, raising concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

• Over 90 Indian government website links redirect to betting and scam platforms.
• CERT-In was alerted but hasn’t confirmed fixing underlying vulnerabilities.
• Issues likely stem from CMS or server configuration flaws, experts suggest.

TechCrunch recently discovered over 90 compromised “gov.in” website links associated with various government departments, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India Post, and state agencies from Haryana and Maharashtra. These links redirect users to fraudulent betting and investment platforms.

TecCrunch says that the compromised links, indexed by search engines like Google, pose significant risks as unsuspecting internet users may encounter them during routine searches.

EXCLUSIVE: 200+ Government of India websites have been hacked! From Google, they now redirect to vc66 [dot] net, a domain registered on Dec 21, 2024. Its an online money-making scam but links to malware—an attack called SERP hijacking. Search [site:*.gov.in fast cash] to see. pic.twitter.com/9fNjYuOt13 — Deedy (@deedydas) January 6, 2025

In May, TechCrunch had highlighted a similar issue with around four dozen government website links. At that time, India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) was alerted and took steps to address the matter.

The websites in question promote themselves as Asia’s most popular” online betting platform and “the number one online cricket betting app in India,” offering wagers on events like the Indian Premier League.

How these ads ended up on Indian government pages and the duration of the redirects remain unknown. Additionally, TechCrunch says that it remains unclear if the underlying vulnerabilities were resolved, as new compromised links have since surfaced.

Security expert Bob Diachenko explained to TechCrunch that the recurring problem might stem from vulnerabilities in the websites’ content management systems or server configurations.

According to Diachenko, merely removing malicious content without addressing the root cause allows attackers to exploit the same weaknesses repeatedly. TechCrunch reached out to CERT-In for comment, sharing examples of affected links.

Although the agency did not respond, the problematic links began showing “page not found” errors shortly after TechCrunch’s inquiries.

This recurring issue underscores the need for Indian authorities to implement more robust cybersecurity measures. Addressing systemic vulnerabilities will be essential to prevent future incidents and safeguard public trust in official online resources.